Day 14: Gringer Creek to White Horse Hills
We acknowledge the Nyoongar People as the traditional custodians of the land and waters along the Bibbulmun Track
More amazing views and wildflowers today!
Today is longer with two big climbs.
These will be the biggest we’ve done so far.
The prospect of the big climbs is somewhat daunting and my mood doesn’t improve as the hours pass. Am I strong enough to complete this hike? We have been walking for nearly two weeks and the magical trail legs everyone talks about have not begun to eventuate, not even slightly. This is petty and awful to admit, but the fact that Geoff hikes so effortlessly – he’s strolling along behind me – is somewhat galling. He’s as relaxed and zen as ever, unsurprising as he's had days of meditation! I’m being ridiculous, but can’t quite rationalise my emotions.
And the first climb is actually very steep, which doesn’t help because we know there is another long climb later in the day with similar elevation gain.
I should be grateful for being out here when many people of any age cannot be for reasons of health or finance or confidence or responsibilities such as work or family. But nevertheless I’m tired with flashes of childish resentment, unable to remind myself to be grateful in the moment, and the big climbs loom as prominently in my mind as they do in the landscape ahead. I tell myself that the views will be wonderful and worth the climbs.
It’s a cold morning…
And it’s been incredibly cold overnight. We’d considered bringing our summer quilt but thank heavens we didn’t. The Duplex and Triplex are cold tents as they rely on airflow to minimise condensation, which we simply wipe off with a microfibre cloth each morning. But this morning, the condensation has frozen – those are ice crystals on the cloth!
As we wipe, we knock water droplets onto the top surface our DIY liner. We wipe most of them off the top of the liner as well, but a very few have soaked in. This doesn’t matter as the liner dries in minutes with a bit of breeze; we don’t bother disconnecting the ten mitten hooks securing it to the fly.
This is one of our sleeping hacks: two jackets zipped together and slipped over the end of our twin quilt.
If we think there’s going to be a lot of condensation, such as on a still, cold night, we zip our identical lightweight Visp rainjackets together, and slip them over the toe of our quilt. This only works with very light (so as not to depress the loft), extremely breathable jackets like the Visp, and you both have to be using the same model, albeit not the same size, so the zipper teeth mesh. You’ll still get a little condensation on the surface of the quilt from the heat of your sweaty feet, but not as much as without it on. A light shirt placed over the top of the quilt under the jacket would preclude all moisture.
But now it’s a splendid summer morning and we are soon warm. Thank goodness, the walking starts out easy for my tired legs.
Very soon we cross Albany Highway. Interpretive signs are placed at major intersections with main roads. The Bibbulmun is named after a local language group and recognises the long distances walked by the indigenous Aboriginal people.
Western Australia is a huge state; indeed Australia is a huge country, as big as the United States or all of Europe, and Western Australia is about one third of the area, so these long distances are not insignificant. The Wauguls are a stylised Rainbow Serpent, which is part of the Aboriginal Dreaming (creation) Story.
Australia is a BIG country! Image from http://takrawesome.com/melbourne-easter-sepak-takraw-competition/ausvusa/
Conostylis setigera Bristly cottonhead
We eventually approach the summit of Boonering Hill; the first part of the climb has actually been very steep. I feel hot and depleted but seeing the top of the hill so close lifts my spirits: we’ve almost reached the top and there are sure to be great views to soak up!
Caladenia macrostylis (Leaping Spider). Some have tiny clubs on their sepal and petal tips while others don’t.
A pair of snuggling jug orchids (Pterostylis recurva) on granite
…and the scrub is just lovely.
After packing lunch makings, first aid kit, water and cook kit into our daypacks, we leave our main packs at the intersection of the spur track up Boonering Hill. It is very steep. My legs burn and it is hot and airless. The spur track leads up through thick scrub before opening onto the granite. This adds about an extra kilometre to the day but it’s worth it:
Oh my, the views are lovely. What you can’t see is that a rubbish tip is upwind of us, out of sight but not out of smell! Again, we’re reminded of the Bibbulmun’s clever sleight of hand: the illusion of wilderness. We eat lunch with this view.
Unaware of how I’m feeling, Geoff innocently remarks that we probably shouldn’t linger too long or we’ll arrive late at camp. It is, unusually for him, precisely the wrong thing to say. With a surge of panic I rush back down the hill. I throw my gear back into my pack with Geoff trying in vain to explain that we don’t need to hurry.
But I’m not hearing him, all I can think of is the next big climb. I figure if we go as fast as possible on the flat, there will be plenty of time for the big climb up White Horse Hill. Yes, in hindsight this is ridiculous. I can’t explain why I’m so on edge, but it is likely that the psychological reality of a thru-hike is beginning to set in, exacerbated by physical weariness.
Geoff takes a few pictures of my disappearing back as I hurry along.
The moss is fragile and is damaged by hikers foot steps so it’s important to stay on the track
Geoff has paused to enjoy the view but I’m too anxious to appreciate it. How silly this sounds now, but it felt very real at the time.
I take a quick snap of a pretty bit of forestry track, but there is no time to look around for flowers. This is stupid: I know what motivates me on walks and rushing to a destination is not it. In the end Geoff asks me to slow down on the downhill. It is a safety issue – he can keep up quite easily, but this speed is asking for an injury. I slow down - and calm down - somewhat.
The climb to White Horse Hill seems endless, but finally we arrive. Of course it’s not significantly longer than previous days; my perception is a direct reflection of my mood. If you’ve read our Motivation articles, you’ll see that I’m not always great at taking my own advice! It’s a work in progress!
The campsites are still great but without understorey after a very recent burn, and we set up on ground covered in scorched leaves.
You can see that we’ve arrived at the hut in plenty of time.
We did hurry through the flat country between Boonering and White Horse Hill, but would have reached it before dark anyway. And what if we hadn’t? We always carry one full day of extra food and fuel for contingencies. We could have camped anywhere if we didn’t make it. Camping between huts on much of the track is not legal, so we never plan to but, if it’s a safety issue, such as an added risk of injury on uneven or steep terrain at night, we wouldn’t hesitate.
Worse, in our rush transferring gear from daypacks to main packs at the spur track, we left behind one of our titanium long handled sporks. We have a short spoon to use as a spare but it highlights the importance of a methodical approach.
The hiker with the injured foot whose load we helped lighten at the servo is soldiering on impressively, and there is a delightful young man who is sharing the hut as well. He has made several attempts to complete this hike but something tells us that he will be successful this time. So many intelligent, insightful, friendly and interesting people on the track!
In conversation with other hikers, it’s reassuring that many have similar doubts. I am particularly impressed by solo hikers, who have to source their determination largely from within themselves, rather than by leaning on a hiking companion.
Today has been a tough day, but it is physical tiredness affecting my mental outlook. Geoff is as equanimous as ever. We’ve both done well, I just need to convince myself.
